


rebuilding honeycomb

by demistories



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Queen Bee, miraculous holder chloé, ok so chloé's queen bee that's basically it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-06-08 05:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6840424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demistories/pseuds/demistories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chloé admires herself in her floor length mirror. The transformation had felt strange and had been slightly terrifying, but it was worth it. She decides that it was a good thing that she didn’t call someone to swat what she had thought was just a very large, very disgusting bug.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. the beeginning

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to everyone who’s been helping me finalize my [chlobee designs](http://buglad.tumblr.com/post/144173962928/chlobee-designs-for-stress-relief), and everyone who helped me make decisions about queen bee so this actually got, you know, written. 
> 
> also!! this is gonna be multichapter, but i don't have a plot or an outline or a schedule because.... honestly, because i didn't feel like it. so just bug me about it. the plot bunnies i have in my head right now make me really happy, i wanna write it, i'll just need the motivation. 
> 
> (how do you write chloé?????)
> 
> anyway, enjoy!!

Chloé admires herself in her floor length mirror. The transformation had felt strange and had been slightly terrifying, but it was worth it. She decides that it was a good thing that she didn’t call someone to swat what she had thought was just a very large, very disgusting bug.

Idette had been going on and on about something— something about rules and responsibilities. But really, all she’d been doing was keeping Chloé from being the best, and most gorgeous, version of herself. And that was saying something.

Chloé’s felt this transformation before, but it’s more comfortable than being akumatized. She _chose_ this. She’s in control this time, with no lilting voice in her ear or emotions clouding her better judgment. Not to mention the outfit is _way_ cuter.

A skin tight suit, with alternating stripes of black and yellow in various lengths. Long black gloves, thigh high black boots with a slight heel. The fluffy brown-ish yellow neck ruff is surprisingly comfortable, and it takes her a second glance to realize that the bee comb has expanded into a small crown. She reaches up with a gloved hand and carefully touches the antenna that rise up behind the crown. Ribbon? She isn’t going to question it, just like she isn’t going to question the shimmering wings that protrude from her shoulder blades. She’s taken note of the knife and scabbard dangling from her black belt, but she’s going to ignore it for now. Who needs weapons when your looks can kill?  

Chloé twists to look at herself in the mirror from the back. Yeah, she can definitely work with this.

She always knew that she was a hero, but now she can prove it to everyone. Even Ladybug will be impressed. And then they’ll _really_ be best friends.

For the first time, everyone will truly love Chloé Bourgeois.

She can hear a commotion outside her window. Probably another akuma attack, she thinks as she tosses her hair over her shoulder. Her television blares as the channel switches to the usual emergency report. The live footage shows Chat getting thrown across a street at a building.

Typical.

Ladybug and Chat Noir can handle it on their own, she’ll take down her _own_ akuma, thank you very much.

They can handle it on their own.

They can handle it on—

Chloé clenches her fists and shouts, “THEY CAN HANDLE IT ON THEIR OWN.” It does absolutely nothing to lessen the anxious fluttering of the butterflies in her stomach. Her entire being is itching to _go_ , regardless of what plain _logic_ is telling her. And that’s that Ladybug and Chat Noir have been fine without a bee for months, they’ll be able to handle another akuma without one.

Her actual wings follow the lead that the butterfly wings have set and start to flutter.

“No no no,” Chloé says, reaching back to try and stop them with her hands. “No, Idette, this is _so_ not happening!” She stomps her feet as her wings beat harder. “Shouldn’t I be able to _control_ this?!” She shrieks and grabs onto the edges of the mirror as her wings lift her feet off the ground.

She flinches as there’s a loud crash. The footage on the TV swings to an image of a bus tipped on its side.

Chloé finds that she actually feels a little sick.

She should be _out the re , helping them ._

Maybe she doesn’t have as much control as she thought she did. “This is you, isn’t it Idette?” she grumbles. “Fine, I’ll help them, but I’m not going to like it.”

The beating of her wings evens out. Flying is almost as simple as walking, just with an additional dimension added to it. As she flies out onto her balcony, Chloé feels a new kind of anxiety:

_She has no idea what she’s doing._

“Ladybug and Chat had a first day too,” she says to herself. “You’ll do even better than they did on their first day out.”

She keeps telling that to herself as she follows the sounds of battle and plumes of smoke. If the trail of destruction is any indication, Ladybug and Chat Noir are taking a beating.

Oh god, don’t Ladybug and Chat Noir have special powers? Does she have one of those? How does she activate that? How does she do _anything?!_

She falters, hovering in the air as her stomach flips.

If Ladybug can’t stop this akuma, why does she think she’d be able to do it?

She’s going to make a fool of herself in front of _all of Paris_ . In front of _Ladybug_.

She starts to fly back to somehow detransform and tell Idette to find someone else, if Paris needs another hero, Idette will have to find someone who wants to actively fight crime. Chloé’s all for the fame and lifestyle, but _so_ not here for the actual fighting. Just this flying thing alone has to have messed up her hair.

In the distance, she can see a red figure land on a rooftop, a black smudge of a person in her arms. A wave of confidence and something else comes over her, and Chloé finds herself zipping towards them.

Ladybug glares at her as she approaches the roof, yo-yo protectively spinning in a wide circle in front of her and Chat. Chat stares at her with wide green eyes, looking weak and slightly terrified. Chloé shrinks back into herself. She hasn’t felt this uncomfortable in her own skin in forever. How can a look from her hero make her feel so pathetic?

“Who are you?” Ladybug snaps. “What do you want?”

Chat puts his free hand on her arm. The other hand is wrapped around his stomach. “Hey, bugaboo,” he says softly. “At least ask friend or foe first.”

They look so tired.

Her heels click as she lands on the roof. “F-friend. Definitely friend.”

“Prove it,” Ladybug practically snarls. Her yo-yo spins faster and Chloé takes a surprised step back.

This was not expected. She was hoping for excitement. Thanks. At least a small sigh of relief?

Something snaps in her.

Why _shouldn’t_ she be getting that?! They _should_ be thankful! She’s here to save them. And they don’t even have the decency to say hello!

She flips her hair over her shoulder. “Why should I?” she snaps and crosses her arms. “I don’t have to prove anything to _you_.”

Chat gives watches her intently. “Because we’ve been lied to before. We’re just being cautious, _honey_.”

Chloé tenses. Right. Volpina. She starts to reach up to her miraculous before clenching her fist and stomping her foot. “Did you just call me _honey_?!”

Chat throws up his hands. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“I didn’t throw it,” she hisses. “Do you want my help or not?”

Ladybug narrows her eyes. “We’ll be watching you.”

“Have fun,” Chloé snips, turning up her nose at her. She leans over the side of the building to see the akuma rampaging through the streets. She gulps.

“The akumas in her necklace,” Chat says.

Ladybug shushes him.

“Hey! She’s a new _bee_ , I’m just giving her a wing up.”  

“I don’t need it,” Chloé says stiffly. She takes a deep breath and rolls back her shoulders, diving off the side of the building and flying towards the akuma. She reluctantly pulls her knife from it’s scabbard, examining the blade as she flies. She’s never seen Ladybug or Chat _hurt_ an akuma before. It doesn’t seem possible. So what good can she do with a knife? Shine the sun in the akuma’s eyes?

She tightens her grip on the handle. Yes. She will. That’s her backup plan. Shine light in the akuma’s eyes.

Chloé can’t say it’s the most foolproof plan, but have any of Ladybug or Chat’s ever been foolproof? She doubts it. There’s a reason Ladybug uses Lucky Charm as a last resort.

She hovers when she’s within earshot of the akuma. “HEY!” she yells. The akuma looks up from the car it’d been destroying as Chloé feigns a yawn. “Isn’t this supposed to be a fight? You’re _boring me_.”

The akuma stares at her for another second before throwing the car at her. Chloé shrieks and dives to the ground, tucking and rolling at the last second. She unfurls her wings as she stands, flapping them a few times to check if they’re okay.

“Rude!” she shouts, putting her hands on her waist. “That was so—”

She ducks out of the way of another projectile. Maybe talking isn’t her best course of action right now. “Fine,” she grumbles, “we can do this the hard way.” She weighs the knife in her hand. She hasn’t so much as buttered bread with a knife in forever.

Chloé grits her teeth and runs toward the akuma. Ladybug almost definitely didn’t fight with a yo-yo before this. If Ladybug can learn a new weapon quickly, so can she.

The akuma is fast, but so is Chloé. Faster than she’s ever been before. And she has the advantage of flight. She’s still clunky, but she’s better off than someone with their feet planted firmly on the ground. The thought puts a smug smile on her face as she attempts to hook the necklace chain on the tip of her knife.

She’s not ready to be thrown against the nearest building. She groans as she falls to the ground, catching herself on her hands, the dangers of doing so being screamed at her by every coach she ever head. She shoves them away and focuses on the pain. There’s a surprisingly minimal amount — probably why Chat is thrown into literally everything and still alive — but she’s going to need a second to get her breath back.

Hopefully that’s what she’s given Ladybug and Chat Noir. A second to breathe.

… _what_?! No!

She winces as she pushes herself off the ground. She might have some slight bruising after this if Ladybug’s magic doesn’t heal as well as it restores Paris. Ladybug and Chat Noir might use their powers as a last resort, but she’s done. _Now_.

“HIVE MIND,” Chloé shouts, throwing her arms out to the side. Her mind feels like it’s being torn to pieces and all she can think is, _oh god_ this _is how I die!?_

And then her mind is buzzing with activity. She slowly opens one eye to see that there are _more of her_. There has to be at least ten. She can’t tell if it’s the best or worst thing to ever happen.

Her fingers are itching. She doesn’t know if she just knows instinctively what to do or if Idette is taking some control, but she let’s it happen. She lets her mind slide into pieces, giving each clone — each Worker Bee — a different job. She lets them take over as she slips into the doorway of a building, slowing her breathing and controlling the Worker Bees however she needs to.

She winces as the akuma lands a hit on one of the Bees. It disappears with a poof of pollen-like smoke. That piece of her mind slides back into her own consciousness, and she’s a little more aware of how the bruises ache. Every time a Bee takes a hit, it vanishes and Chloé’s mind becomes a little bit more complete. In a different Bee’s eyes, she sees Chat Noir drop down silently from the top of a building.

 _Thank god_ , she thinks, sagging in relief as he uses Cataclysm. She hears Ladybug shout Lucky Charm and stumbles out of her hiding spot to see Ladybug use one of the Worker Bees to help get the necklace off the akuma.

Ladybug snaps the pendent in half in her hands. She captures it quickly and cleanses it, saying “Bye bye little butterfly!” as it flies off. Then her and Chat pound it. Because they’re a team, and this is what they do.

Chloé groans and leans against the side of the building.

“We just wanted to thank you.”

She looks up to see Chat Noir’s trademarked cheshire grin and scoffs. “It was nothing,” she says stiffly. She feels like she’s about to collapse. Her mind has been so stretched and twisted. She can feel a migraine coming on. Hopefully this doesn’t happen every time.

“Didn’t look like nothing.” He motions to where Ladybug is talking to the akuma victim. “We were getting destroyed _bee_ fore you came along.”

Chloé somehow finds it in herself to roll her eyes. “Really?”

“Of course, honey.”

She groans again and rubs her temples. “Honey? Again with the honey?”

“You didn’t throw your name,” Chat says innocently.

Chloé stretches out her wings. She assumes they’re as indestructible as her suit appears to be, they don’t seem to have been damaged by the whole being thrown into a building thing. She flutters them softly, much preferring the lightness of flight to her heavy steps on the ground.

A name. She needs a name.

She’d thought of one before all this, when she had just been admiring herself in the mirror. She’d thought, _this name has always fit me, but now more so than ever._

Part of her wants to reject that name now. She doesn’t exactly feel like the same girl that she was not even half an hour ago. And then she thinks of how she’d controlled the Worker Bees. _Her_ Worker Bees. She’d been the puppeteer behind the scenes, pulling all the strings and deciding every action. She’d been completely in charge.

She squares her shoulders and towards the hotel, glancing back at Chat Noir with a toss of her hair.

“The name’s Queen Bee.”


	2. a buzzing feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her crown beeps as she flies back home. When she touches down on her balcony, she's engulfed in a flash of yellow light, and then she's Chloé Bourgeois again.
> 
> “Could you really not wait another two minutes?” Idette snaps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooo it's been a while. also! bee kwami revealed!!! a little more development in this chapter, although this chapter is kind of short. i just wanted to update and get it out of the way (and i still am working on the actual _plot_ part of this) 
> 
> a little bit of chat being a heartsick loser and background marinette being the same. chloé's done with all of them. 
> 
> enjoy!

Her crown beeps as she flies back home. When she touches down on her balcony, she's engulfed in a flash of yellow light, and then she's Chloé Bourgeois again. 

“Could you really not wait another two minutes?” Idette snaps. 

Chloé blinks in surprise. This is not the sweet Idette who’d tried to stop Chloé from swatting her. She crosses her arms. “What's  _ your  _ problem? I saved the day, didn’t I?”

Idette buzzes angrily. “You didn't let me  _ finish _ telling you the  _ rules _ .”

Chloé rolls her eyes. “Rules are for losers,” she says as she walks past the kwami towards her still open balcony doors. 

“And miraculous holders!” Idette trills. “Bet you didn't know that once you use your powers you only have five minutes before you detransform, huh?!”

Chloé slows, hand on the door knob. “Five minutes?”

Idette floats over to her. “Once the last Worker Bee vanishes, you have five minutes before you detransform.”

The restriction weighs on Chloé like an anchor. She attempts to shake off the chains and move on. “So what if I want to detransform before that?” 

“Crown off,” Idette says haughtily. “Any chance you have any crackers?”

Chloé raises an eyebrow. “Crackers?”

“The transformation tires me out, food is the fastest way to get me ready to transform again.” Idette zips into Chloé's room. “Any crackers work, but the saltier, the better.”

“Saltier,” Chloé repeats. “Riiight.” Carrying around crackers all the time had  _ not  _ been part of her plan. Ugh, she's constantly going to be finding crumbs  _ everywhere.  _ She picks up the phone and calls down for crackers and cheese. At least this way it seems like she's eating an actual snack as opposed to just  _ crackers _ . 

Idette dives behind a potted plant as Chloé answers the door to grab the platter of cheese and crackers. Idette pops up as the door clicks closed, zipping over to inspect them. 

“Good enough?” Chloé asks. 

“Perfect,” Idette says, picking one up and taking a large bite. 

“I'll give Sabrina a box of crackers to carry around for me,” Chloé muses as Idette munches on a cracker. 

Idette’s eyes go wide. “No!” she protests. “You can't.”

Chloé examines her nails. “Well why not? Sabrina carries a lot of stuff for me. She wants to, it's not like I'm  _ forcing _ her to.”

“You can't!” Idette puts down her cracker to buzz in Chloé’s face. 

“Hey!” Chloé tries to bat her away. 

“You can't tell anyone that you're Queen Bee!”

Chloé leans back to get Idette out of face. “Why  _ not _ ?” 

“It's a rule! No one must know you're a miraculous holder!”

“Not even other miraculous holders?”

Idette stuffs the cracker in her mouth. 

Chloé pokes her. “Hey,  _ buggy, _ what about other miraculous holders?”

Idette swallows nervously. “It's complicated.”

Chloé rolls her eyes. "How complicated can it be? It's a yes or no answer!"

Idette buzzes. "It just is! For now, just don't tell anyone."

Chloé crossed her arms and sits back in the chair. "Fine. I won't." She'll prove herself without her name to help her along. Fine. That'll only be more impressive. 

She won’t, despite the fact that she is  _ itching _ to post about it on every social media account she has. Or even just go on and see what she can find about herself. What videos are up, what pictures. Do people have theories? Ideas? What do they think of her— this her that she gets to completely invent from the ground up. No preconceived notions, no rumors, no family ties, no shadows to—

No, she has shadows she’s standing in. The shadows of Ladybug and Chat Noir.  _ But! _ She’d saved them. On her first day. They were weak and couldn’t handle it and  _ she _ had been the tipping point that allowed them to defeat the akuma. 

Chloé sits back in her seat with a proud smile. “Anything else I should know?” she asks as Idette snacks on her crackers. 

Idette hums. “Most of it you’ll learn with time. Oh! Your suit is extremely protective, not much will damage it, but that doesn’t mean that you should run into a situation recklessly.”

Chloé raises an eyebrow. “Chat Noir does all the time.” 

Idette gives her a pointed look. “And Chat Noir is  _ reckless _ . You, and Chat’s, duty is to not only try to incapacitate the akuma, but also to make sure that Ladybug can do her job. Your main priority should be the safety of citizens and Ladybug. She’s the only one who can cleanse the akuma so if something happens to her—” 

“There’s no stopping it. Or Hawk Moth,” Chloé finishes. She waves a hand dismissively. “Yeah,  _ duh _ . I knew that already. I’m Ladybug’s biggest fan, of  _ course _ I knew that.” 

“Well when you’re Queen Bee you have to stop being a fan and start being part of her team,” Idette says seriously. 

Chloé grimaces. She doesn’t work well with others and she is perfectly aware of that fact. “Fine. Teamwork it is.” 

* * *

Chat catches Queen Bee as she stumbles on her landing. She jerks her arm away and straightens, trying to ignore the intense pounding in her head. “I’ve  _ got it _ ,” she grumbles

“Me- _ owch! _ ” Chat crosses his arms. “Just trying to help a newbee out. My bad, Queen-y.” 

Bee rubs her temples. “Does it get any better?” she asks.

Chat’s ears perk up. He glances over to Ladybug. “What do you mean?” His voice is soft, like he’s asking about a secret. 

Bee gives him a suspicious look. “Hivemind. It feels like I’m pulled to pieces and then shoved back together. My head is going to  _ explode _ .” 

He crosses his arms and keeps his eyes on Ladybug. 

“Or does that not happen to you?” she asks, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. 

“Oh it happens,” Chat says lightly. “Cataclysm hurts sometimes. Sometimes there’s a weird ache in my chest. Sometimes it feels like something breaks. Depends on what I’m using cataclysm on. It’s not as bad as it was at first anymore.” His gaze sweeps the area before landing back on Ladybug, who’s helping the akuma victim with a patient smile. 

“Do you think…” 

“She’s never mentioned it.” 

They watch her from a distance. As the akuma victim gets up, a crowd of people and reporters swarm over to Ladybug. She glances back at Chat and Bee and gives them a quick smile before turning to answer a question. 

“Shouldn’t you be over there with her?” Bee asks. 

“Ladybug is the one they all want to talk to.” Bee is surprised by the fact that there’s no jealousy in his voice. No bitterness, no malice. She looks up at him to see the soft expression on his face as he watches Ladybug handle the press with grace and ease. 

She raises her eyebrows. Alya wasn’t wrong. 

Ladybug steps away from the crowd, earrings beeping. She waves her goodbye to Chat and Bee as she swings off. 

Chat lets out a small sigh. 

Bee nudges him with a smirk. “Incredible isn’t she?” 

“Yeah.” He’s staring off into the distance with such intense heart eyes she thinks she might be sick. 

“Gross.” 

Chat blinks and shakes himself out of his daze. “I, uh—” 

“Mhm.” Bee flutters her wings as her miraculous beeps. “That’s my cue. Watch your daydreaming furball, you might walk into something.” 

* * *

Chloé sneaks Idette a cracker between classes. She’s only been a hero for a few weeks, but she’s already noticing slight differences. Like how she’s overly aware of where all of her classmates are at all times.

It’s a little irritating. Especially since she doesn’t  _ care _ about any of them. 

She scoffs as she sees Marinette standing a few feet away from Adrien and Nino out of the corner of her eye. The way Marinette stutters and blushes is so  _ obvious _ . It’s ridiculous and childish. 

Alya loops her arm through Marinette’s and drags her over to the boys. Chloé slams her locker shut and leaves the room before she can do or say anything. 

She had promised herself that she’d be better. At least a little. The way Ladybug had looked at her that one time still hurt. The look Adrien had given her during pictures. The way he avoided her.

Chloé clenches her phone in her hand.

“ _ Breathe _ ,” Idette hisses from her bag. 

Chloé closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. At least having Idette around constantly is good for  _ something _ . “I’m okay,” she mutters to Idette. “Now shut up before someone notices you.”

Idette listens,  _ for once _ , and keeps quiet for the rest of the day. Chloé resists the strong urge to micromanage the hotel when she gets back home, frustrated and tired and ready to scream. She doesn’t  _ want _ to care about all these people. Because caring only ever ends in  _ hurt _ and  _ heartbreak _ and she doesn’t want any more of that. 

She stomps up to her room before she can plop herself down in front of the head of staff and demand to know everything that’s going on in every room. 

“Are you okay?” Idette asks. 

“I’m fine,” Chloé snaps, throwing a pillow at Idette. 

Idette just calmly dodges it and crosses her arms. “ _ Someone’s _ a little touchy.” 

Chloé scoffs and kicks her shoes off before curling up on her bed. 

There’s been this… _ worry _ building up inside her all day. She can’t explain it. It wasn’t that bad during school, it was very subtle and easy to ignore. But as soon as she walked away from the building and was out of view of everyone it was like a strong pull in her stomach. There’s this need to transform and go look for…for something. She doesn’t know what it is yet. But she’s already decided that she hates it.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (i'm totally taking creative license here and doing whatever the hell i feel like. i hope you don't mind. this is my ~experimentation~ fic)
> 
> i figured we might as well jump right on in. i wish i knew where this was going but i am 100% winging it. like right now??? characterizations????? what?????? (send heLP)
> 
> i'm on [tumblr](http://sadrien.tumblr.com/tagged/my-fics)!


	3. bumbling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm going to be 100% honest here
> 
> i feel like a terrible person for writing this
> 
> i know a few people who are excited about chlobee. they're so so excited. and i also know...so many more who aren't. i know people who hate the concept with their entire being. and i still wrote this and i feel...so guilty about it
> 
> i haven't been able to write in days. i've had such a bad 24 hours. i've cried so much. and i feel completely terrible for doing this
> 
> but i need to post it. because otherwise. i would feel like even more of a failure. 
> 
> if you don't like this. please move by. i'm sorry i wrote this. i'm sorry for possibly upsetting you. i'm sorry for so many things that i think the phrase might have lost it's meaning and i'm sorry for that. 
> 
> if you do like this concept, attempt to enjoy. i guess.

Idette leaves Chloé alone for a grand total of thirteen minutes before she starts bugging her again. Chloé groans and puts on headphones, turning up her music as loud as she can to try and silence the kwami’s buzzing. If Ladybug and Chat Noir have to deal with kwami as irritating as Idette, they’re even more heroic than Chloé gave them credit for. 

She still feels on edge. Her stomach is twisting and knotting and there’s this need to  _ know _ . She doesn’t know what’s going on. With herself, but more importantly, other people. She needs to know if Ladybug and Chat are patrolling and what their strategy is. If they’re sleeping enough and eating and staying hydrated. Her fingers itch. She needs to move or work or be productive or  _ something _ . 

Chloé glares at Idette from across the room. This is  _ definitely _ Idette’s fault. 

Chloé does her homework. For once. It’s a bit of a struggle and she needs to read the book that she’d thrown under a pile of unwanted clothing and go over the notes that Sabrina had painstakingly copied in her perfect print. She hesitates when she gets stuck on a math problem, and then sends a text asking Adrien for help before she second guesses herself. So what she needs help? There’s nothing  _ wrong _ with that. If anything, it’ll humanize her in Adrien’s eyes. And that’s a good thing. Maybe? Her head hurts too much to try and debate with herself. 

She sends a quick message to Sabrina saying there’s no need for her to do extra homework tonight before chucking her phone across the room. Whatever Idette is doing to her is making her weak and fragile and if she keeps this up, no one will felt needed by her. And everyone will—

Chloé yanks off her headphones. She needs to go before she explodes. “Idette!” she snaps. 

Idette floats up from a desk drawer with a yawn. “What?” 

“Crown me!”

—«·»—

 

Queen Bee has no plan. That feels wrong. Shouldn’t a leader always know what they’re doing? Have a plan of attack in mind and a watchful eye over their subjects? She can breathe a little easier now that she’s in the air. 

She has no direction and without Ladybug and Chat by her side, she has no hive. No. That’s not true and she probably needs to give in and accept it. She’s the one at Ladybug and Chat’s sides. She stands in their long, looming shadows and tries to live up to the impossible standards they’ve set. At best, she can consider herself allies with Ladybug and tense acquaintances with Chat. She watches them patrol from her balcony and follows their lead in battle. If anything, she just steps on their toes. So what if her and Chat can hold a brief conversation? Ladybug and Chat Noir are partners. And Queen Bee is the awkward third wheel. 

She scoffs and lands on the nearest roof. Of course her superhero persona would be third best and unwanted. She can’t say she’s unneeded, she has swayed the battles a few times, but she’s nothing more than an extra shove. 

Bee sweeps her eyes over the rooftops of Paris. This has always been  _ her  _ city. She’s always had so much power and control. It’s never been a question of if she wanted or deserved it, it’s always just been handed to her. And now she needs to prove herself. And that’s…a lot tougher than she expected it would be. 

She uses the Eiffel Tower to guide her. She knows this city as well as she knows her hotel, but it’s entirely different seeing it from above opposed to scuttling through the streets like an ant. She centers herself on the Tower and then flies east.

She lands lightly on top of the Agreste mansion, taking in how the sky colors orange as the sun dips below the buildings. 

Behind her, something metal hits the ground. 

Bee whirls around to lock eyes with Adrien. His eyes are wide and his mouth is open in shock. His shirt is speckled with dirt and he’s wearing his mom’s old gardening gloves and ripped jeans and all she can think is that she gets a second chance. All the looks that he’s given her during school, all of his muttered asides, his quickly souring opinion of her. She can  _ change that _ . They can be what they once were again. Can’t they? 

“S-sorry,” Bee stutters. “I didn’t think anyone would be up here.”

Adrien blinks. “Uh… I’m just…” He motions to the garden. Then his gaze drops to the watering can at his feet. He quickly scoops it up and holds it to his chest. “Watering. I was watering. Flowers.” 

“They’re beautiful.” Ugh, nope. She hates this. It’s awkward and stiff and if only she could detransform right now and just sit next to Adrien and talk about random whatever like they used to. But she can’t. And she doesn’t want to know how he’d react to finding out that one of Paris’ heroes is  _ Chloé Bourgeois.  _

A look crosses Adrien’s face. It’s one of those looks that she’s always had the urge to hug out of him. “My mother liked to garden.”

The “I’m sorry” slips out before she can stop it. Because she’s so sorry. She’s always been so sorry and she can’t remember if she’s ever properly expressed that and if she hasn’t is she really that awful of a friend? She brushes her finger against the nearest rosebud. “I’m sure she would have loved what you’ve done with it.” 

Adrien lowers his eyes to the watering can. “I hope so.” 

Bee leans over and smells a rose. The sweet smell is calming and puts her nerves at ease. For a moment, she’s not so tense. Maybe she needs some plants in her room. “Sorry, I was raised with manners better than this,” she says as she straightens. It’s true. Her mother would have a conniption if she knew that she hadn’t immediately introduced herself and offered her hand. But her and Adrien are too far away for handshakes. “I’m Queen Bee.”

“I’ve heard,” Adrien murmurs. “Adrien.”

“I’ve heard too.” 

Adrien rubs the back of his necks as Bee glances away. She needs to know how to skip this awkward stage with him. They’ve known each other for so long that she doesn’t know how to do this part when it comes to him. She’s not interested in it. 

She needs plants in her room, she can feel it in the pit of her stomach. If only she didn’t kill everything wonderful and alive in her life. 

They’ll figure this out later. But she can’t be here anymore. Not with their current friendship hanging over her like a guillotine. “It was nice meeting you,” she says, climbing up until the edge of the roof. She glances over her shoulder at Adrien, smirking and giving him a two fingered salute. “See you later.”

Bee throws herself over the side before she can see or hear his response. 

She falls. She lets herself fall freely, enjoying the rush. Free falls force everything else out of her mind. All that’s left is her and gravity. 

Her wings pull her out of her dive as she approaches the street. She soars upward, and once again, she’s without direction. But she’s a little more settled. She’s grown some roots. Sewn some seeds. 

All she can think of is Adrien trying to teach her physics. It was last year, before he’d joined public school and things went so far south that it has to wear five layers of bulky, gross colored coating to keep from freezing to death. Adrien was supposed to be learning something else, but he got bored of the subject and started teaching himself physics. Because of course he did. 

They had been sitting on her floor as they painted each other’s toenails — he painted hers turquoise while she did his a deep indigo — and he was going on and on about equations. Then he tried to explain free fall to her and how simple it was. It didn’t seem simple at the time. There were too many variables and numbers involved for her liking, and even when Adrien put it down on paper everything jumbled and mixed in her mind. But when she’s actively free falling herself, she can see where he finds the pure simplicity of it. 

Bee perches on the tip of the Eiffel Tower. She likes being up here. It feels like she’s on top of the world. She can see the city laid out in front of her like a diagram. All of the crisscrossing streets and lights being turned on as the sun finally disappears below the horizon. She wonders how Ladybug and Chat doing anything besides this. She never wants to move. 

And she doesn’t. At least, she doesn’t until her crown beeps. It takes all of her control to move herself from her spot, to stop keeping a watchful eye over her people. 

“Is it always like this?” Chloé mumbles to Idette as she starts to drift off to sleep. “All weird and…icky?”

“Icky?” Idette asks. Chloé can hear the laughter in her voice but she’s too tired to care. She waves a hand at Idette. “Sometimes,” Idette says after a moment. 

Chloé presses her face into the pillow. “I don’t like it,” she says, her voice muffled.

Idette sighs. “You’ll get used to it.” 

**Author's Note:**

> *skips kwami introduction because i can*
> 
> tangled ribbons will be updated hopefully on sunday! i'm gonna go work on that now, actually. this was a really good way to get me back in the ml writing mood. 
> 
> I'm on [tumblr](http://buglad.tumblr.com/tagged/my-fics) (and you can reblog this there!) <3


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